Fever Redux or, NoStar Cell Service
by Nocturne in C Moll
Summary: An alternate ending to episode 4, "Fever." While Mick lies dying in the tub at the no-star motel, Leni still can’t get a cell signal and Beth never gets that crucial phone call.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Don't worry, I'm still working on _What Are You, Mick St. John?_. I've just been working on it so long, I got a bit restless and have to get this out of my system as well. I was rewatching Fever recently and wondering what would happen if…

Beta: Barb (Bank1115), of course!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Some dialogue is borrowed or paraphrased from episodes.

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* * *

  
Fever Redux **(or,** No-Star Cell Service**)—**Chapter 1**

"Damn it!" Leni smacked the side of the phone with her palm. "Still no signal." She unfolded one leg from underneath the other and slowly rose from the bed. Padding softly toward the bathroom, she hesitated outside the closed door. "Mick?" She rested a hand on the doorjamb. "Mick, are you okay?"

No answer. She jiggled the knob and pushed open the door.

"Mick, I can't get a signal. I don't know what else to—" Leni stopped short at the sight of him. Mick lay still in the tub, eyes shut, arms folded across his chest, his head barely above water.

Her heart nearly stopped.

She ran over and fell to her knees beside the tub. "_Mick_!" She patted his face; his skin was an ugly gray and still burning hot despite the ice bath. "Mick—can you hear me?"

His eyes snapped open and took a moment to focus on her. Leni gasped—his scleras were bright yellow.

Mick started thrashing about in the water. "Get out, Leni! Get out!"

She shook her head firmly and held his head between her hands. "No. I'm not leaving. You _need help_. You're _dying_!"

"You must leave…now! …Please." He jerked his head away from her and spoke into the side of the tub, "I'll die before I feed on you…"

Leni sat back and held a hand up. "Whoa—what did you just say?"

Mick buried his face in his right shoulder and waved her off with his other arm. "Get out, Leni! Get out! _Leave_!"

"No. Not without answers. —Did you just say you'd die before you _fed_ on me?!" she squeaked.

He said nothing, but turned his head toward her. His eyes drifted towards her neck and he started to raise himself up a little.

Leni shivered a little under his gaze. "Mick?"

He snapped out of his trance and met her eyes for a brief second before he curled into himself again. "Please…you must leave…"

"_No_. Not until you tell me what the hell is going on here. Something's seriously wrong with you, and I think you know what it is."

Mick took a long, shuddering breath and turned towards her. His irises had turned a whitish-blue and the sharp ends of his canines peeked out from under his top lip.

Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my gosh," Leni gasped. "—What are you?"

"_I'm a vampire_."

* * *

"…Thanks." Josh lowered the phone slowly, staring at it for a moment before he snapped it shut. He kept his back to her.

"Well?" Beth's voice shook slightly.

Josh turned, staring at the floor, but he could feel her eyes on him. "That was Victorville PD." He blew out a deep breath and looked up. "On their way to the bus station, they found a fresh accident scene. Apparently Mick and Leni stole a police cruiser... They were attacked." He paused. "Looks like they're dead."

"Dead?" Beth gasped, her chin quivering. "There must be some mistake."

Josh shook his head. "The car was in flames—it's too hot to even get close."

She turned away. Her upper body trembled.

"I'm sorry." He moved around the desk and sat on the edge. "—Are you okay?"

Beth took a breath and exhaled it shakily. "You've got a big problem."

Josh blinked.

Beth wiped her eyes with her hand and turned to face him. "Mick didn't talk to anyone but you and I."

His mouth dropped open. "Are you suggesting that _I'm_ the leak?"

"I'm saying someone on your team is responsible, and you should find out who!" She started marching to the door, her lips dragging downward at the corners.

"Beth!" Josh called after her. She stopped mid-stride, but didn't turn to him. He closed the gap between them and laid a hand on her arm. "Look, I know he was kind of your friend..."

"'_Kind of_'?" She wrenched away from his grasp. "—You don't know anything."

She left Josh standing alone in his office, arm outstretched.

* * *

Leni took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Visual and auditory hallucinations aren't typically symptoms of pregnancy, are they?"

"Uh, unfortunately, I don't think so," Mick looked down into the bath water.

"Oh-kay," Leni breathed out slowly, "So, uh, you're a…vampire, and—"

"—And I…I don't do well in the sun."

"Well, I'd say _that_ qualifies for Understatement of the Year," Leni snorted.

Mick's mouth upturned slightly. He licked his lips once to wet them. "Beth…called me a delicate flower."

"Right…Beth. You trust her?"

"Yeah. She's the only other…human…that knows."

"Wow—I should be honoured, then? I'm in the top two!" Leni held up two fingers with a grin.

"I guess," Mick grunted, then added with a little smile and shake of his head, "I dunno if it's a secret most people would like to know. And I don't exactly volunteer the information."

"I have lots of questions, but I don't think now's the best time to be asking them…" Leni trailed off.

"Yeah…maybe…not…" Mick grunted.

Leni flipped her hair over her shoulder and started tugging at her shirt to further expose her neck. "Okay, then, so how do you want to do this?"

"What?" Mick lurched sideways. "No—what are you doing?"

Leni looked at him. "You're a vampire, Mick—isn't this what you need? Blood?"

"No—_not yours_."

"Who else's blood are you going to get around here—_Oh_," she looked at him slyly. "_That's_ why you wanted me to call Beth. I get it. She's not your girlfriend, she's your…what do you call it? Is there a name for girls who feed vampires?"

Mick looked horrified. "_No_—Beth's not a freshie!"

"'Freshie'?" Leni's brows shot up. "—_That's_ what you guys call them? Really?" She wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah—yeah, I guess," Mick brushed her off. "But that's not who Beth is; I would never ask that of her—or _anyone_, anymore."

"Okay, okay, sorry," Leni put a hand up. "But this is an emergency, so it doesn't count, right?"

"I said _no_—get out, Leni!"

"Listen, Mick, you've already saved my life once. Let me return the favour."

"No, Leni—what about the baby?" He looked at her earnestly. "—_Jack's _baby?"

"The baby isn't dying. _You are._"

"But if I take some of your blood—"

"Not _if_—_when_," Leni crossed her arms. "The baby will be fine. You'll just take a little—enough so you're not gonna die on me, but not so much as to harm me or the baby. That'll work, right?"

Mick started to shake his head violently. "No…"

"_Mick._ Listen to me—_I trust_ _you._"

"You shouldn't," Mick panted. "I'm a vampire, Leni. A _vampire_. Don't you ever watch horror movies?"

"Well, sure, but you don't seem anything like those vampires. For one thing, you didn't explode in the sun—well…not exactly, anyway."

"What if I can't control myself?" he said hoarsely.

"If you can't control yourself, why am I still sitting here?" Leni looked at him defiantly. "Look at it this way, Mick, if you die—or whatever happens to someone that's already sort of dead—who's going to protect me then, huh? I'll be alone, here, in the desert, with no cell phone. A sitting duck for the guy trying to kill me." She scowled at Mick. Then her mouth morphed into a wicked smile. "You could argue this is purely self-preservation."

Mick squeezed his eyes shut tight, but a tear escaped. "What kind of monster takes blood from a pregnant woman?"

He felt a hard slap across his face and he opened his eyes in surprise. Leni was glaring down at him.

"A monster wouldn't think twice about it. Thank God Fayed's not a vampire. He's the monster here, he and the guy he sent to kill me. _Not_ you, the guy sent to save me. Okay? —_Okay_?"

Mick shut his eyes again for a moment. Then he opened them. "Okay," he said weakly.

"Now," Leni said, all business. "What do you need me to do?"

The water sloshed around him as he struggled to raise himself to a sitting position. He shook a little as he reached for her arm. "At some point…you might to have to stop me."


	2. Chapter 2

Beta: Barb (Bank1115), of course!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Some dialogue is borrowed or paraphrased from episodes.

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* * *

  
Fever Redux **(or,** No-Star Cell Service**)**—Chapter 2**

Leni's heart beat faster and faster as Mick's fangs grazed the skin of her forearm. She managed to suppress a shudder, though she couldn't help the small gasp that escaped when they slid into her skin. She felt her head go a little light after a few moments and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"Mick…" His name fell from her lips half a minute later without her even being aware of it, but he'd been listening for it. He immediately retracted his fangs and wiped his mouth with the side of his hand.

Leni sluggishly lifted her head. "Oh—are you done? Was it enough?" she mumbled.

Mick took her hand. "It helped—thank you." His eyes anxiously searched hers. "Leni…are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine—just so sleepy now…"

Mick touched her shoulder and guided her to lean against the side of the tub, then stood. He waited for the streams of water rushing off him to subside before he sloshed toward the towel rack. He grabbed a large bath sheet for himself and a washcloth for Leni. "Hey," he handed it to her, "take this. Wrap it around your arm and put pressure on it. It'll stop soon. Vampire bites heal faster than normal wounds."

"Okay," Leni yawned and put the cloth over her wrist.

Mick used the towel to sop up as much water from his clothing as he could, then stepped carefully out of the tub and lifted Leni into his arms. He carried her into the other room and deposited her gently on the bed.

Leni rolled face-first into the soft pillow. "Mmmm," she groaned. She heard the scrape of a chair on the floor and took a peek out of the corner of her eye. Mick had pulled the chair up to the side of the bed and was hovering near her.

"I'm not dead, Mick—not even close," was Leni's muffled response into the pillow.

He inhaled sharply and sighed through his nose. "I know…"

"I'm sure I even look a heck of a lot better than you did, too." She turned her head so she could see him.

His lips turned up slightly at the corners. "Yeah, I bet. I must have looked pretty rough."

"I think the baby's fine, too."

Mick exhaled and shifted in his seat. "Maybe. Both of your heartbeats are slow, but steady. Still, blood loss isn't good. We need to get you to a hospital as soon as possible, get you both checked out. I'll never forgive myself if—"

"—Wait, how do you know about our heartbeats?"

He seemed embarrassed. "I can hear them."

"Wow—is that how you knew I was pregnant?!"

Mick nodded with a sheepish grin. "Yeah—I'm not as smart as I seem. Even took me a while to figure out why I kept hearing an echo of yours."

"That's so cool," Leni breathed, her eyes glittering in awe.

"Yeah, well. You need to eat something."

Leni felt a breeze on her face and slowly opened her eyes. He was sitting in the chair, holding out the mini-bar stash she'd taken into the bathroom. She furrowed her brow. "What—where did you get those?"

Mick shrugged. "I ran to the bathroom." At her look of disbelief, he added, "Vampires are, uh, faster than humans—and stronger."

"Cool," Leni's voice lacked energy but not enthusiasm. Her eyelids started to flutter again. "Uhmm…can you fly?"

"Mm-hmm—just like Superman."

Her eyes opened wide in amazement. "—Really?!"

"No," Mick allowed himself a grin as he tore open the bag of chips. He shook his head, still grinning. "—Works every time."

"What does?"

He held out the bag. "Nothing. —Eat."

Leni sighed and straightened herself up a little so she could grab a chip. Her eyes swept over him as she munched on the snack. "You'll be okay—right? You look a lot better."

"I feel better. Thank you…for what you did, Leni."

"Hey, we're even. Don't mention it."

Mick nodded slowly and looked to the ground. He nodded with his chin at the bag of chips. "After you finish those, you need to get some rest—okay? We need to hang out here till nightfall and I can travel outside again. I'm not quite…recovered…enough to be out in the sun."

"But you'll be okay…right?"

* * *

Beth uncurled her fingers and slowly let her purse drop down beside her as she sank down into the couch cushion. Then she burst into great, gasping sobs.

After a minute she'd exhausted herself and she fell against the side of the couch. Her eyes rested on the throw pillow. "Mick," she reached for it and hugged it close to her, curling her knees up to her chest.

Josh found her in that position two hours later, fast asleep. He could still see the tracks on her cheeks from her tears. He sighed and seated himself on the edge of the cushion beside her. "Beth," he massaged her shoulder. "Beth, honey, wake up."

"Mick…" she murmured, her chin quivering.

Josh frowned and squeezed her shoulder harder. "_Beth_."

She suddenly jerked awake, her eyes searching the shadows of the room. "Mick?!" Then she sensed someone beside her on the couch and turned to look. "—Josh?"

"Hey," he said grimly. "Yeah, it's me. You were calling out for Mick again."

"Oh." She frowned. "It wasn't a dream, was it? He's…gone?"

"Yeah." Josh stared at the floor. "I'm sorry."

Beth looked away, her lower lip trembling again.

Josh's jaw twitched. "I can't stay long; I need to go back to the office and wrap things up, but I wanted you to know…I did a little experiment with misinformation, and…I found the leak—it was Kevin."

"Kevin?!"

"Yeah—apparently he got in over his head during March Madness and Fayed's people made him an offer he couldn't refuse," Josh shook his head in disgust. "Like that's an excuse."

Beth's lips were dry. She licked them. "I'm sorry. I know he was your friend."

He shrugged with his eyebrows. "Yeah…well…I guess you never really know someone."

Her eyes dropped.

Josh took a deep breath. "Hey…I just wanted to say, I'm sorry. I wasn't very sensitive before…when you found out Mick was dead." He flinched at Beth's shudder and the fresh round of tears that began to roll silently down her cheeks. "I guess I was just…well, I mean, you just met the guy not that long ago."

"He was my friend, Josh—and he saved my life," Beth said flatly.

"Yeah," Josh said softly, rubbing her back. "Yeah, he did. And I'll ever be so grateful to him for that."

Beth didn't even appear to be listening. "He saved my life—and I got him killed. It shouldn't have happened—he's not _supposed_ to die!"

"No, Beth—this isn't your fault. You didn't want to get him involved; I was the one who insisted—you know what, he died protecting and serving; I'm going to make sure he gets a hero's burial."

Beth burst into tears and fell into his arms. "I've never felt so alone," she hiccuped. "I don't even know who to tell, who to talk to…"

Josh frowned. "We can do a search for his family; we'll find them."

"Family?" She pulled back slightly. "Oh—no." At Josh's surprised expression, she added hastily, "—I don't think he has any family left."

He furrowed his brow. "Okay, how about friends? Have you met any of them?"

"I don't know…I'm not sure."

"You're not sure?" Josh raised an eyebrow. "What _do_ you know about this guy?"

Beth thrust out her chin. "I know he was special; that I've never met anyone like him. There's no way you could understand."

"Well, help me understand, then, Beth—I know your friend just died, but you're acting almost like it was, well, _me_."

"No!" Beth shook her head. "It's not that at all, it's—" she stopped abruptly and turned away for a few moments. Josh stared at the back of her head. Finally she sighed and turned back with a look of determination and resignation. "I've been keeping a secret of Mick's. And now that he's gone, I…I don't know if I can bear it alone."

Josh cupped her cheek with a firm hand. "Beth, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

She sniffled and nodded. "Yeah…I guess…but you must promise me, Josh—you cannot speak a word of this to anyone." She gripped his face with her palms. "—_Anyone_. You must swear to me."

"Yeah, yeah, of course I swear," he put his hands overtop hers. "Beth, you're starting to freak me out a little. What is it?"

"When Lee Jay said, 'I know what you are, Mick'…"

Josh's breath caught in his throat. "—Yeah?" he said when she hesitated.

Beth took a deep, shuddering breath. "Mick is—was—a vampire. And there are more out there."


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: No, you're not hallucinating. HUGE apologies for the delay. I know that Beth informing Josh that Mick was a vampire was a big, bad cliff to leave you all hanging on, but it wasn't intentional. At the beginning of the summer, my Moonlight Muse deserted me and I went off the boards for a while—but the muse has come back, it seems--let's hope she sticks around for a while…and that I have time to write! With my new full time job, I'm very far behind in my reading, too.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**  
Fever Redux **(or, **No-Star Cell Service**)**—Chapter 3**

An incredulous giggle escaped from Josh's lips. "What? Beth, you're kidding."

Beth shook her head slowly.

Josh gently removed her hands from his cheeks and held them firmly in his as he looked into her eyes. "Okay…Beth…vampires don't exist. I think, that with everything that's happened lately—that college blood cult case, your…resulting obsession, your shooting a man, Mick's death—it's all come together, and—"

"I didn't believe vampires existed either, Josh," Beth took a shaky breath. "But they _do_. I've seen the proof with my own eyes."

His brow furrowed. "But…how…why…"

She sighed. "After I shot Lee Jay to save Mick, Mick disappeared. One minute he was there; then I looked away for a second, turned around and he was gone. I knew he had been injured, so I left the crime scene as soon as I could and went to his apartment to see if he was all right. The door was open. Mick was inside. He was sitting on the floor, his back to me. I couldn't see what he was doing. He refused to look at me—just begged me to leave. He was hiding something in his hand. I walked around, trying to see him, but he kept turning away from me. Finally I got a glimpse of what he was holding—it looked like a bag of blood.

"At first I thought maybe he'd lost too much blood from getting shot and was trying to give himself a blood transfusion. I kept trying to talk to him—I knew he'd been holding something back from me, but…I didn't expect…when he finally looked at me," she took a deep breath, "his irises were a pale blue, so blue they were almost white, and there was blood dripping down his chin." Beth took one of her hands from Josh and trailed her fingers down her chin, then used her index finger to curl up one side of her upper lip. "When he opened his mouth to speak I could see his fangs. And that's when he said it—that one phrase, just three little words, that have changed my world forever: 'I'm a vampire.'"

Josh stared at her. She returned his gaze, unwavering. He expelled a breath and released the hand he still held to rake his fingers through his hair. "What—I can't—"

"Lee Jay knew what he was—just as Mick knew what Lee Jay was. But Lee Jay was the true monster. Mick was trying to protect one of the women that Lee Jay killed."

"A vampire? Protecting people? I thought vampires went around attacking and killing people in the dead of night!"

"No!" Beth said quickly. "Well, I mean they do—or they can. Sometimes. But they don't have to! Mick says he gets most of his blood from the blood…bank…" she trailed off as she saw Josh's raised eyebrow.

"So you're saying the Red Cross just…"—Josh waved his hand around—"gives out blood to vampires?"

Beth winced. "Mick said they don't actually know…"

"Well, no wonder they're always short!"

"Excuse me?" Beth drew her brows together.

"The Red Cross—no wonder they always desperately need more donations, they've got vampires draining—literally—their reserves!"

"This isn't funny, Josh!" She crossed her arms and looked away.

"Beth…" he touched her shoulder. "Beth, I'm sorry. It's just, well, it's a lot to…to take in. I'm trying to," he paused a moment, searching for the right word, "_assimilate_ this new information into what I know—or what I thought I knew—and it's not going very well at the moment. Even though it sure does explain a few things." He frowned suddenly.

"I know, Josh…I know…and I'm sorry I had to tell you. But I just really needed—someone," her breath caught in her throat.

"No, Beth, I'm sorry. I'm not being very sensitive—again. I know you're going through a lot—and you've obviously been through a lot. Much more than I have. I'm just so sorry you've had to go through this…discovery…alone. I at least have _you_." His hand tightened reassuringly on her arm.

"But I wasn't alone! …I had Mick. He's been explaining things to me. Until now…" She looked away.

"Yeah, but he isn't—I mean, he's a…how could you…weren't you…" Josh trailed off.

"Yeah, I was scared at first. I left right after he said the words. I couldn't believe it—but I had _seen_ it. After a few days, I hadn't heard from him, so I went back to his apartment with a whole whack of questions. I wasn't sure if he'd see me, but he did. And he answered all of them...eventually. I…I can't promise you that he's never killed a human being since he became a vampire. But he would never hurt an innocent now, and that's what matters. He died trying to save your witness! He's not a monster, Josh. A monster wouldn't do the things he does…did," she qualified with a slight quiver of her lip.

"Yes, but does it follow that all vampires are not monsters?"

* * *

"Stop worrying about me now, Leni—think about yourself, and the baby. I'll be all right; _you_ need to get some rest." Mick patted her arm as he rose, then started to pace the room. "How are you doing with those chips? I wish they'd been cookies—cookies would've been better." He stopped and turned to look at her. "—Are you sure they didn't have any cookies in the mini-bar?"

She cocked her eyebrow at him. "Mick. Are you sure you're all right? —You're _babbling_. If I didn't know better, I'd say _you_ needed to eat some chips."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm just…restless, now that I'm up and about."

Leni sat up a little with a gasp. "You're still…hungry…_aren't you_. You're restless because you need to…I dunno, _hunt_, or something."

Mick's eyes flicked to hers in surprise. "How—?" his question hung in the air.

She leaned back against the pillow with a droopy, smug smile. "You're not the only one with superior observational skills and deductive reasoning."

Mick sighed. "After my overexposure to the sun, I needed lots of blood to recover. But I—I _couldn't_ take enough blood from you to satiate myself; not without harming the baby," he stared a large stain on the carpet. "My 'inner vampire,' as my friend would call it, is still demanding to be fed. But don't worry—I can control him now."

Leni shrugged her shoulders slightly and shifted against the pillow. "I'm not worried."

He started pacing again. "It's because of the blood you gave that I can control myself again—but it's also why I'm on edge now. Vampires survival instincts are very strong. If you hadn't offered, but had stayed in the room with me, I don't know how much longer I could have held on before I attacked you. It's those same instincts that are telling me to hunt now, to finish the healing." He eyed her anxiously. "But I promise you, I'll be fine. It's nothing I can't handle."

Leni twisted around to pull the pillow out from behind her back. "I'm not worried." She fluffed the pillow, replaced it on the bed, and scooted down farther so she could lay her head on it.

"You saved me, despite the risk to your baby. I wouldn't forget that, even if I could. I swear you'll be safe. I'd go back outside and stand in the sun before I hurt you again."

"Well, that'd make you a dumbass! But Mick—I'm not worried. What I _am_ is really sleepy now, so if you could just shut up—"

Mick stopped and stared at her with mouth agape. "You're going to be sleeping in a room, completely vulnerable, with a hungry, antsy vampire recovering from severe heat stroke. You _should_ be worried, Leni. Think of yourself now—and the baby!"

Leni furrowed her brow. "Perhaps I'm confused—are you the expectant mother, or am I?"

He chuckled involuntarily, but looked stricken as he said in a low tone, "You. _Definitely_ you."

"Then _I'll_ decide what constitutes a threat to me and my fetus, thank you—and _You. Are. Not. It._"

Mick pressed his lips together.

"Now…putting aside your itch to hunt, you are fine, aren't you?"

"I'll survive. You need rest now. Try to go to sleep—I swear I won't…attack you…again."

Leni rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because, as we established, I was really worried about that," she snorted. "You haven't 'attacked' me yet, Mick—and you wouldn't dare unless I was awake to argue you into it. Why don't you channel all your energy into keeping watch for the guy who's trying to kill me?"

Mick shook his head with a hint of a smile. "Go to sleep, Leni…I'll keep watch."

"That's better…" she said smartly as she lay back and drifted off. A shadow moved back and forth across her feet as she slept.

* * *

"No." Beth answered frankly, to Josh's surprise. "It doesn't follow that all vampires are not monsters, and I know it doesn't. I helped him track down a rogue last week."

"A rogue," Josh repeated. "You helped him track down a rogue vampire."

"Yes—he needed my police contacts to get some information." She smiled slightly at Josh's expression. "Mick didn't like me tagging along any more than I can see you do. But you know how I am. He figured it was better to keep me close where he could keep an eye on me and protect me if he needed to."

Josh had no reply.

Beth continued, "The rogue had been turned accidentally. His sire abandoned him. The poor guy didn't know what he'd become or what was happening to his body—he ended up running around tearing people's throats out and draining their blood."

"Wait," Josh gasped, "are you talking about—was that Carl's case? I heard about that! That was a vampire?"

"A rogue, yes," Beth nodded. "—Makes more sense than a wild animal running loose in LA, doesn't it?" She didn't wait for a response, "—But now you can see that obviously the majority of vampires don't run around killing people or this wouldn't be the first you'd heard of it."

"Point taken. So what you're saying is, vampires are just like humans: some are monsters, some are not. They're just misunderstood because of their dietary habits."

"Josh…" Beth said warningly as she removed her hand from his.

Josh took her hand back. "Beth, I'm sorry. You know this is how I deal with things sometimes."

"Yeah…I know," she smiled slightly at him, but it wavered a little. "It's just worrying me a little."

He tilted his head questioningly.

"Josh, this _has_ to remain a secret. People have been hunting vampires for thousands of years. If they knew, a lot of people—I mean, vampires…_and_ humans—could die. Do you understand?" Beth looked at him and set her jaw. "Josh…do you understand?"

"I need some time to…process the implications of vampires existing," he said slowly.

"I know that…believe me," she smiled slightly. "—But you will keep it between us?" She laid a hand on his knee

Josh covered her hand with his. "I said I would."

"Good," Beth's smile faltered slightly. "Because I don't know what would happen to us if…if…"

"—I see." Josh cut her off grimly.

She tilted her chin up defiantly. "Well, could you blame them?"

He sighed. "No, I suppose not—but I can't like it. It goes against everything I believe in; everything I swore to uphold!"

"Well, up until a few minutes ago, the possible existence of vampires also went against everything you believed in, didn't it?" she said pointedly.

"Yeah," Josh admitted. "Like I said, it'll take me some time to process all the implications."

"I know," Beth smiled wryly. "I had to struggle a tiny bit with my reporter's instincts at first. But I couldn't forget that Mick had saved my life, and Julia's life. I quickly realized it was better this way—for me to work with Mick, instead of against him—and not just because I didn't know what would happen to me if I didn't agree to keep his secret."

Josh nodded slowly. He was silent for a few moments. "Beth…what do we do now? About Mick?"

"What do you mean?" She bit her lip.

"Well, Mick's…body."

_**To be continued…**_


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: So much to write, so little time...

Beta: The ever-wonderful Barb (Bank1115)!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

P.S. Yes, ladies, that _is_ Mick St. John's real phone number!

* * *

**Fever Redux** (or, **No-Star Cell Service**)—**Chapter 4**

Josh saw her stiffen and took her hand before continuing, "Mick and Leni died in an attack. There _will_ be autopsies—is the coroner going to find fangs when he examines Mick?"

"Oh my gosh." Beth's hand flew to her mouth. "I didn't even think of that! Can't you stop it?"

Josh shook his head. "I'm afraid not. He has no family to protest an autopsy in court, and even then it would be difficult in a case like this. So you don't know what usually happens in these…situations?"

"I didn't really think to ask! Mick took care of the rogue himself; the police were never involved. I never expected _him_ to die!"

"What about…other vampires? Do you know…any?" Josh ran his fingers through his hair and muttered, "I still can't believe I'm talking about vampires—_actual vampires_."

"I told you—I don't know. If I did meet any, Mick didn't exactly point them out." Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "Wait—the rogue's sire. His name was Gerald Stovsky!"

"Okay!" Josh's eyes lit up. "So we'll track him down, and—"

"Oh…no, that won't work." Beth held a shaky hand to her forehead.

"Why not?" he frowned.

"Some woman came and took him away. I think she belonged to some sort of…vampire police, but I don't know how to contact her, either."

Josh sighed. "Maybe we can run Mick's phone records—unofficially," he qualified quickly upon seeing Beth's expression of concern. "See which number or numbers he calls the most. You call your hacker at Buzzwire—the one I pretend not to know about—and get him to run Mick's phone records ASAP."

"_Her_, actually. —And then what?" Beth stared at him. "We go visit the people belonging to the numbers he called most and ask them if they're vampires? Either way, I don't think that will go over well."

"So we won't ask them outright…but you know some things about vampires, right?"

"Well…they don't do well in sunlight?" she shrugged.

* * *

Leni's eyelids fluttered open. A small ray of light shone through a broken slat in the blinds and illuminated a thin strip of the faded bedspread covering her. Her eyes focused and she could see Mick pacing restlessly across the room in front of the bed, stopping and turning each time he came within two inches of the sunlight.

He seemed to know she was awake without even looking; he just started speaking. "The sun is setting; it's almost nightfall. But there's still no cell service."

She groaned and threw an arm across the pillow behind her head. "—So we're stuck here?"

"No. I'll carry you across the desert if I have to—or maybe we can find another cop car to steal." He flashed her a small grin.

Leni whooped. "You're feeling better?"

Mick nodded. "Not one hundred percent, but I'm a lot better. I'll be okay. Thank you again." He sank onto the edge of the bed and held his head in his hands.

She rolled her eyes and crawled across the bed and rested a hand on his shoulder blade. "Mick, would you stop it with the pity party? I'm _fine_. So obviously you didn't attack me in my sleep like you thought you might. Are you still…restless?"

He didn't answer.

"Hey—" she started patting his back slightly, "—maybe we'll run into the assassin out in the desert, and you can drain him—take care of two problems at once."

Mick's head snapped up. He looked at her over his shoulder. "Yeah, because monsters don't drain people."

"No, monsters drain _good_ people. Wouldn't draining this guy make you feel better? In more ways than one?" Leni cocked her head and grinned at him.

The corners of his lips turned up slightly. "Well…"

"—And then," she interrupted, her voice rising, "when we get back to LA, we can go to Fayed's house, and you can—"

"_Leni_—"

* * *

"Sam, it's Beth. I need you to run some phone records for me. The number is 310-555-0186. Go back two months—and can you email me the results ASAP?" Beth wrapped a lock of hair around her finger while she awaited the response. "...Thanks a lot, you're the best," she breathed and touched the screen to end the call. She turned to Josh. "She said she'll send the results to me in five minutes or less—or else it's free."

"It's not usually free?"

"She usually makes me buy her a new piercing, or a bottle of sangria," Beth replied as she walked over to her desk.

"Ah. That could add up quickly."

"Better than a new iPhone! Besides, I just add it to my expenses," she shrugged and sat down. She opened her laptop and glanced over at Josh to see him gazing at her. "What?"

"Nothing," he came over beside her and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled slightly at him, but her smile quickly faded and her eyes dropped to the keyboard. "What's wrong?"

"Just…Mick. I still can't believe he's…gone. And I feel like I'm invading his privacy now. It took him so long to really trust me…"

Josh dropped another kiss on the top of Beth's head. "We're trying to protect him—his secret. I'm sure he'd appreciate that."

"Yeah…even though he's gone, he wouldn't want to be exposed. I don't think he liked being a vampire very much," Beth started tapping the refresh key in her browser repeatedly.

"Really?"

"—Oh, look, here it is already! Sam's definitely worth her weight in sangria—or piercings." Beth clicked to open the attachment.

Josh leaned over her shoulder and they scanned the list together. Beth pointed to one of the first numbers on the list. "Look how often this one appears—555-6669. It belongs to a Josef Kostan."

"Josef Kostan? That name sounds familiar," Josh mused. "Google him."

* * *

"I don't see why you can't get rid of Fayed…then I wouldn't have to testify, and I wouldn't have to live on the run," Leni pouted. "What if I testify and he still gets off? Or what if I testify, and he sends his goons to hunt me down and kill me? "

"Look, Leni, I'm gonna protect you until the trial, regardless of what Josh Lindsey says."

"And after? I'm _not_ going in the Witness Protection Program again. In fact, if it wouldn't call attention to me, I'd start a petition for them to rename it."

Mick smiled lazily. "I might have a plan, but I need to talk to someone about it first. Do you like horses?"

"What?" she stared at him. "—Are you changing the subject?"

He shrugged. "Just curious."

Leni eyed him warily. "Yeah, sure. One of my uncles had a farm. I used to go over there all the time and ride with my cousins when I was younger—at least until I hit my clubbing phase."

"Okay."

"Okay…" she sighed and cocked her head. "So why won't you take out Fayed, again?"

"Fayed's high-profile; he's dangerous. Taking him out would need to be very carefully planned and executed, and may require more resources than I have. If you knew my friend Josef, you'd be wishing it was him sitting here instead of me. He'd be all over that. But on the other hand, he probably wouldn't have put himself out to save you, either."

"Oh, sounds like a _real_ nice guy."

"You kinda have to get to know him…and never cross him."

"Right…" Leni scrunched up her nose and turned to gaze out the window.

* * *

Josh blew out a breath. "Okay, so we're going to accuse one of the youngest guys in the Fortune 500 of being a vampire? —This is insane!"

"Josh, it was your idea!"

"Yeah, but—what if we're wrong?"—he threw up his hand—"or, for that matter, what if we're right?" He turned and started pacing the room. "You said yourself—"

"—We have to do this for Mick, Josh," Beth thrust out her jaw.

He stopped and sighed. "I know…but…"

"Josh, look how often they call each other—and, more importantly, _when_."

Josh paled. "Almost always late at night…" he finally said slowly.

"Exactly," Beth shot him a knowing look. "—Vampires are nocturnal." She grabbed her cell and her keys and headed for the door.

"Right…" Josh said under his breath as he followed her.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: Apologies for the delay in posting this chapter, but at least it wasn't as long as the delay for _WAY,MSJ?_ …right? And more good news, the chapter _after_ this one is ready to be sent to my beta as well… Anyway, I'll shut up and just post the chapter.

Beta: The ever-wonderful Barb (Bank1115)!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Fever Redux **(or, **No-Star Cell Service**) **— Chapter 5**

"So, where do millionaire vampires hang out? Is there, like, a big gilded clubhouse with fountains of blood?"

Beth shot him a look. "No."

Josh rested his forearms on the steering wheel. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Then where to?"

Beth stared at him. "I didn't think of that. I was so excited to have a lead." She fell silent for a moment. "I guess all we can do is try calling."

"You're going to _call_ first?" Josh exclaimed, but Beth's fingers were already shakily dialing the number. With a sigh, she held the phone up to her ear. A warm male voice answered on the third ring.

"Hello? J-J-Josef Kostan?" Beth stammered.

"_Just Josef, actually—only one J. Now, who is this? And—more importantly—how did you get my private number_?"

"I'm a friend of…of Mick St. John's."

"_Mick St. John would not give out my phone number without my permission, even to sexy blondes. _Are_ you blonde? You sound blonde_."

"Um…"

"Beth…what's going on?" Josh hissed beside her. "What's he saying?

She shook her head and motioned for him to be quiet.

"_Is this one of those ' prank' calls? Is Mister St. John there, too? Tell him I'm so_ _going to key his Mercedes for this_."

"No, Mick's…not here, but this is about him. We really need to talk to you—in person. Will you see us?"

"_Well, I don't know;_ _define 'us'_."

"Um, me—Beth Turner—and Josh Lindsey, the Assistant District Attorney."

"_A reporter _and_ a lawyer meet a hedge fund trader? This sounds like the beginning of a joke I once heard._"

She took a deep breath. "Will you see us?"

"_Are you going to tell me a joke?_"

"What?"

"_Fine_," the voice on the other end sighed. "_I'm curious as a cat. I can be found at the Kostan Industries office_—_I trust you have the resources to locate it._"

Beth heard a click in her ear. She put the phone down into her lap. Josh looked at her expectantly.

She shook her head. "Start heading downtown; I'll call Sam and get the address for Kostan Industries."

But he didn't move. "So…what did he sound like?"

"You mean, did he _sound_ like a vampire?" She glared at him.

* * *

Mick stood in front of the crack in the blinds and gazed into the dark. "Night has fallen—it is time. We should go."

"Well," Leni snickered, "that was a very _vampire-ish_ thing to say."

He looked at her over his shoulder.

"I mean, _Great!_ _Let's go steal a cop car_!" She threw an underhanded punch to the air, which was swiftly followed by a loud growl from her stomach. "Oops," she said and gripped her abdomen.

He frowned. "You need more food."

Leni poked at her stomach. "Yeah, with your ears that was probably something like a bomb exploding."

Mick turned back to the window and pulled the slats of blinds wider apart with two fingers. "Not quite."

"Hey, how _would_ you describe the sound of a bomb exploding? Like when the cop car blew up—what was that like for you?"

"Loud."

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Forget I asked…"

"Okay." He stared out the window for another minute, then turned and said, "We can't leave yet. You need your strength. I'm gonna go see if I can find another mini-bar. Do you think you'll be all right alone for a minute?"

"Yeah, you're only going to the next room—I think I can handle it. If I can't, I'll start to scream, and you'll be here before I've stopped."

Mick stared at her for a moment. "Okay," he finally said. The door opened and shut.

Leni sighed and slid back down onto the pillow. The next thing she knew, Mick was shaking her awake. "Hey—I found chocolate."

"Chocolate?" She sat up. "Yum! Gimme." She was reaching for the chocolate bar in his hand until he cocked his head suddenly. She froze with her hand still outstretched. "What? What is it? —Mick?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"It didn't look like 'nothing,' Mick! Do you hear something?" she demanded. He didn't answer, and soon she heard the sound for herself. Her heart began to pound. "A car? Do you think it's after…us?"

"I doubt it. It drove past—never slowed. It's not looking for us."

"Well, run after it, then!"

"And what, become The Hitchhiker from Hell?" Mick snorted. "I'm still a danger to humans, Leni—I'm not going to risk putting any other innocents in my way."

"Fine," Leni crossed her arms and slumped back against the headboard. "But just for the record, I think you're underestimating your strength. _And_ I really wanna get out of here!"

The corner of his mouth quirked up. "I know you do." He sighed and sat down on the bed. "So do I—we really need to get you and the baby checked out."

"_And_ you need more blood." She leaned over and plucked the candy bar from his hand. "I have chocolate. I'm okay for now."

A moment later he reached over and touched the towel still wrapped around her arm. "I took too much—I know it. I knew I shouldn't have fed from you."

Leni laid a hand on his. "Jack Junior and I will be fine, Mick. You saved our lives—we saved yours." She ripped the chocolate bar open with her teeth. "Now get over it!"

* * *

Beth frowned at the amount shown on the meter as she swiped her credit card.

Josh leaned over her shoulder. "Do you think he'll still validate our parking after we accuse him of being a vampire?"

His position behind her didn't enable him to see the roll of her eyes, but he heard her short expulsion of breath and saw the tension in her shoulders. He held up his hands. "All right, all right—I'm sorry. I'll stop."

She said nothing, but he caught her giving him a dark glare from underneath her lashes as she began to walk toward the elevator. Josh glanced around at the shadows of the parking garage over his shoulder before he followed.

In the elevator, he took Beth's hand and squeezed it with a slight smile. She returned the gesture after a moment. He sighed. "Look, I'm still trying to—"

"I know, Josh. It's okay."

"As weird as this is, though—I have to say, being on the hunt with you is kind of fun." He scrunched his nose playfully in an attempt to loosen her up, but she only smiled tremulously and looked away. He frowned, but before he could speak the elevator reached the lobby and the doors opened.

Beth dropped his hand and marched up to the security desk. "Beth Turner and Josh Lindsey to see Josef Kostan."

"Mr. Kostan is in a dinner meeting."

A furrow appeared on Beth's forehead. "But he's expecting us—we just called."

The guard stared at her a moment before picking up the receiver and pressing a button on the phone. "Er—my apologies for the interruption, sir—but there's a Beth Turner and Joshua Lindsey who seem to think you're expecting them." He smirked at something said on the other end. "Yes, sir." He hung up. "Your escort will be down in a moment."

"Escort?" Beth mouthed to Josh.

The elevator doors opened with a ding and a dark-haired man stepped out. He stood in front of the elevator and stared at them.

"Go with him," the guard pointed.

Beth and Josh exchanged a look and walked over to the elevator. The man nodded for them to enter, then followed them in and pressed the button for the top floor. He stood facing them as the elevator ascended, but stared straight at the wall as if they were not even there.

Beth let her eyes drift over to Josh. He stood tall, head straight, arms folded over his chest, eyes locked on their escort. She lifted her chin and, with a quick glance at the man, stared at the panel in front of her. Her heart beat slightly faster as the numbers lighting up went higher and higher.

On the twenty-fifth floor, the doors opened and their escort turned swiftly on his heel and exited the car. Beth began to move after him, but Josh laid a hand on her arm and stepped out into the corridor ahead of her.

The escort led them into a large, high-ceilinged room with a large desk in front of an expanse of windows. "Your guests, sir," he said to a young man sitting behind the desk, and left. They heard the elevator ding in the corridor a moment later.

The young man rose and came around to stand before the desk, crossing one hand over the other in front of him. He said nothing, but his eyes followed the movements of Beth, and then Josh, as they moved slowly toward him.

Beth and Josh swallowed in tandem.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Sorry this chapter took longer to post than I thought…but anyway, here's Josef! He demanded that he not be interrupted, so we'll have to check back in with Mick and Leni in the next chapter…

Beta: The ever-fantastic Barb (Bank1115)!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**

* * *

Fever Redux **(or, **No-Star Cell Service**) **— Chapter 6**

The young man tilted his head and waited for them to speak.

Beth finally found her voice. "Josef Kostan? I'm—"

"Beth Turner, Buzzwire. Oh, such beautiful women on the internet."

"Uh, thanks," Beth smiled uncomfortably. "…I guess…"

Josh was scowling when Josef turned to him with a knowing smirk. "And you are—"

"Assistant District Attorney Joshua Lindsey," he moved closer to Beth and put his arm around her.

"Fine," Josef smirked as he reached out to shake Josh's free hand. "Now that we're all acquainted, why don't you tell me why we're all standing here awkwardly?" He moved around behind his desk again but did not sit down.

Josh scanned Josef's desktop, then looked at him questioningly. "I thought we were interrupting a dinner meeting?"

"You did," Josef stared at him calmly. "I had the room cleared while you were on your way up. If you're hungry, I didn't quite finish my chicken souvlaki." He waved a hand, indicating a styrofoam container in a trash can beside his desk.

Josh glanced at the trash can and inhaled. He could smell the chicken. "He had food, Beth."

Beth frowned and turned suddenly to Josef. "Do you know Mick St. John?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I think it's obvious that you know I do, since you used his name to try and get up here, and"—he spread his hands—"here you are."

"Um…right," Beth bit her lip. "I meant, are you…are you a client of his, or a friend?"

Josef leaned forward. "Excuse me?"

"We're looking for…_friends_…of Mick's," Josh cut in.

"Well, I am a client on occasion, and we play poker every other week, but other than that you could say we're drinking buddies." Josef's eyes flicked back and forth between Beth and Josh as they shared a long glance. He picked up a file folder, held it high above his desk, and dropped it.

Beth and Josh startled at the loud _smack_ it made when it hit the desktop and turned back to him.

"Good. Now that I have your attention, what's this _really_ about? I don't have time to answer twenty questions on who I play with during recess."

"So you're…_close_ friends with Mick?"

"_Yes_. In fact, he is my _best_ friend. I've known him for…years. Would you get to your point?"

"I'm sorry…I wanted to make sure before I…before I…" She paused to take a deep breath and two tears rolled down her cheeks. "Mick's dead!"

Josef immediately sat down in his chair. "Are you…sure? What happened? Where is he?"

Josh guided Beth to one of the chairs and stood beside it, still holding her hand. "I…hired him to find a witness that disappeared after an assassin appeared at our safe house and took out two cops. I wanted someone outside the force to investigate since there seemed to be a leak in my department. Mick tracked Leni to Victorville. I don't have the details on what happened yet, but Mick and Leni stole a police cruiser and they were attacked—the man I'm prosecuting is an arms dealer. The car was in flames."

Josef was silent. He stared at a flaw in the surface of his desk and poked at it. "And what do you want me to do?" he said quietly.

"We just thought someone should know—in case something…special…needs to be done," Beth said shakily.

"Mick said he 'talked' to you," Josef leaned back in his chair and regarded her. His eyes were cold and hard. "Where does _he_ come into it, though?" He nodded towards Josh without breaking his gaze.

"I—I told him." Beth lifted her chin. "After I found out Mick was dead, I…needed someone to talk to. I trust him. You can too."

"Yes, well, you'll forgive me if I don't take your word for it." He eyed Josh darkly while still addressing Beth, "You'll also forgive me if I'm not too pleased with you at the moment. I _knew_ reporters were trouble—especially blonde ones!"

"I'm still…processing what Beth told me," Josh said quickly. "—But I promised I would keep the secret."

Josef smiled slightly. "You don't really believe her, do you?"

Beth dropped Josh's hand and looked up at him. "You don't?"

"Right now I don't know what to believe—I mean, look—he had dinner!" Josh gestured to the garbage.

"Mr. Lindsey, I would think that you of all people would know that things are not always what they seem. Perhaps I only wanted you to _think_ I had dinner."

"So, what, you're saying you buy and throw out food to make it appear as though you eat…food?"

"It's not like I couldn't afford it," Josef put his feet up on the desk. "But this is all purely speculation, of course—since you don't believe Miss Turner, here."

"You could prove it," Josh said bluntly. "Show me."

"Josh!" Beth gasped.

"Beth, you said yourself you could hardly believe it at first, but you'd seen Mick with your own eyes!" Josh started to pace, then stopped. "Look, I need to know what I'm doing, here—I need to know this isn't all just some surreal dream. I need to know what's real—and if that's vampires, fine; I'll deal with it. But I don't deal well with uncertainty."

Josef regarded him for a long moment. "Very well," he finally said with a hint of a smirk. "Will flashing you my pearly whites convince you, or do you want a front row seat for the dinner theatre show? If I may remind you, you interrupted my meal earlier."

"I think the former will be sufficient…sir."

"Josh…" Beth began, but Josef waved her off.

"Very well. The former it will be. As for the latter, I'll just have a doggie bag made up." Josef enjoyed Josh's slight twitch when he suddenly leaned forward, swung his feet off the desk, and rose. "—But this isn't a party trick, mind." He shook his finger at the attorney. "—I won't keep doing this whenever you want for your amusement." He shut his eyes.

Josh nodded stiffly, "Of course not. I didn't mean any disrespe—" He cut himself off when Josef's eyes snapped open, a bright blue so pale they were nearly white. For a moment, Josh was caught in the icy gaze.

And then Josef smiled.

"Oh…I-I see. Th-thank you," Josh said. His legs wobbled and he sat down, but the chair was three feet behind him and he fell hard onto the floor.

Josef's human countenance returned, and he walked calmly around the desk and held out his hand to assist him up. Josh hesitated a moment before accepting it—then found himself jerked up by the collar and staring close-up into the face of a vampire.

"Mick may be a teddy bear with fangs, but I'm not," Josef snarled, "I take threats to exposure very seriously. I have no problem with you personally, or with you knowing our little secret, as long as you can keep your mouth _shut_ and don't cause trouble. If vampires are exposed, a lot of people I care about, and some people I don't even know, could get very hurt—and that includes humans. Think of me as a vampire district attorney, trying to protect the community—oh, I also go for the death penalty when I deem it necessary, and there's no chance for appeal. _Understood_?" he tightened his grip.

Josh nodded quickly and Josef released him. "And that goes for you, too, Blondie!" he turned and said sharply to Beth. "You need someone to talk to, you come to _me_!" he pointed emphatically at himself. "No more telling unauthorized humans."

"Oh-kay," Beth croaked.

"Now, I'm sorry for scaring you," Josef said, his face morphing back to its human facade. Then he smirked. "No, wait—I take that back. I'm sorry I found it _fun_ to scare you—which is actually really something, coming from me. I don't apologize very often." He straightened and smoothed Josh's collar for him.

Josh's jaw tightened. "I can imagine."

"And I imagine you didn't like that, understandably—but you didn't go through the normal screening process," Josef shot a dark look at Beth, who shrank back, "so I had to do a rapid initiation. I hope there are no hard feelings—and do tell me honestly if there are. You see, I can sense when you're lying."

He stared Josh hard in the eye, and Josh returned his gaze evenly. A cell phone began to ring. Josh snatched the phone out of his pocket, only breaking Josef's gaze to look at the screen. "I should take this—it's my office." He turned away and began to pace the length of the room.

Josef cocked an eyebrow at his retreating back and took a seat in the chair next to Beth. He grinned at her, and she returned it uncertainly.

Suddenly Josh stopped in his tracks. Josef sat straight up in his chair, his eyes on him. Beth looked back and forth between the two men.

"What do you mean there were no signs of bodies in the car?" Josh was rubbing the back of his neck.

Josef had already risen. "We need to go to the desert—_now_."

"What? What's going on?" Beth scrambled out of her chair.

"If Mick was in that car, he'd be ash—there would be no body," Josef said and began yanking open drawers in his desk and slamming them shut. "But your witness was human, and there'd be something left of her."

"But…what does that mean?"

"It means that next time you decide to blab a dead friend's secret, make sure you verify the dead part first—Mick may still be alive."

Her eyes widened.

Josef suddenly held up his hand. A set of car keys dangled from his fingers. "I'll drive."

Josh hung up the phone and turned around, only to find Beth clutching her purse and Josef tapping his foot. "Oh. So, you—"

"Already know what's going on and decided we're taking my car to the desert to look for Mick and the human."

"Okay then. Let's go." Josh took a step and froze. "—Oh, crap."

"The expression 'oh, crap' is on my Top Ten List of Things I Wish Were Human So I Could Murder Them With My Teeth," Josef scowled. "What is it?"

"After I heard Mick and Leni were dead, I still had to find the leak in my office," Josh shrugged awkwardly, "so I did a little experiment with misinformation…and told some people in my office that they were still alive. One of them called Fayed…and, thinking they were dead, we never bothered to correct them."

Josef nodded. "So Fayed's people still could be looking for them—and if they've got weapons-grade firepower, Mick and Leni could be in big trouble." He smacked Josh on the shoulder. "'Oh, crap' it is!—I'm so glad you've mastered the art of the understatement, Joshua."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: *cough* So it's only been 13 months since the last post…I apologize profusely! The muse has been AWOL. I hope you all still remember what's going on!

Beta: The ever-fantastic Barb (Bank1115)!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

**Fever Redux **(or, **No-Star Cell Service**) **— Chapter 7**

It was dusk, and the shadows in the parking garage had multiplied. Josh looked over his shoulder as he and Beth hurried to keep up with Josef.

Beth was peppering the vampire with questions. "If they're still alive, why haven't they called?"

Josef rolled his eyes. "I don't know; vampires aren't psychic. What the heck has Mick been telling you? Do you think we can fly, too?"

"_No_," she said defensively. "…I asked."

He stopped short and stared at the bright red two-seater parked in the corner. "Huh. I forgot the Ferrari isn't really practical in some situations."

"In _some_ situations?"

Josef ignored her. "We'll take your car. Gimme the keys." He held out a hand. When nothing was placed in his palm, he turned his head and raised his brow at her. "I'm _still_ driving."

Beth huffed and began to dig around in her purse. The keys jangled as her fingers found them and held them out.

"Thank you," he grinned and snatched them away from her. He stepped around in a circle. "Which one is your car? Please tell me you don't have a Smart Car."

"It's the silver Prius," she pointed.

"Silver…_excellent_," Josef muttered and approached the car warily. When he got in, he found he did not have to adjust the seat. He eyed Beth, who had beat Josh to the front passenger seat and was getting in on the other side.

"Josh drove. I wasn't…up for it," she said by way of explanation, biting her lip.

Josef stared at her a second longer, then turned and put the keys in the ignition.

"How are we going to find them?" Josh said impatiently from the seat behind.

"On it," Josef whipped his phone out of his pocket, pressed a few buttons, and held it up to his ear. "Rider—track the GPS on Mick's phone…ASAP. Text me the location, and keep a watch on it. Inform me immediately if there are any changes." He snapped the phone shut and tossed it to Beth. "I hear you like navigating."

Without waiting for a reply, Josef put the car into reverse and swung out of the parking space, then put it back into drive and floored it. The tires squealed as the car jerked and sped forward.

Beth and Josh were wide-eyed and breathless when Josef stopped the car short at the entrance of the garage. He grinned at the sound of their racing hearts. "What are you so afraid of? I have night vision and lightning-fast reflexes."

"_You_ also can't die," Beth twisted her hair around her finger.

"Oh, is death what you're so worried about?" He revved the engine. "Don't worry, if we crash, I'll bring you back to unlife."

"Great…" she sank back against the seat.

"Don't sound _too_ enthusiastic," he glanced at her. "I think you've been spending too much time with Mick."

Josh cleared his throat loudly.

"So does he," Josef jerked a thumb toward the back seat.

Beth edged herself further into her seat and turned her head to the window as the gas pedal was once more fully depressed.

* * *

"Ugh… no more candy," Leni waved the chocolate away.

Mick sighed. "There isn't anything else here, and you're too lethargic still."

"That's probably because the only thing I've had to eat today is junk food," Leni groaned. "My OB-GYN is so going to kick my ass when she finds out."

"This isn't another hit request, is it?"

She stuck her tongue out at him, but he suddenly ceased all movement. A moment later he tilted his head at her. "Car. Get in the closet."

When she froze, he repeated himself sharply. Leni scrambled off of the bed and into the closet. She shut the door behind her and sunk to the floor, hugging her arms around her stomach.

Mick's eyes turned pale blue, and he moved swiftly to the space along the wall between the door and the window. Peering outside through the crack in the blinds, he watched a single set of headlights pull into the driveway. "Let's see you take me on without weapons-grade firepower," he snarled under his breath.

A horn began to honk and a man began to yell. "Mick! Your knight in shining armour and a couple of pawns are here! Come on, let's go! I don't have all night."

"It's Josef," he laughed. "I don't believe it! It's okay, Leni, you can come out."

Leni opened the door a crack and peered out. "What?—your friend? How did he find us?"

"I'm more curious about how he knew to look for us, but we can worry about that later." He held out his hand. "Come on—let's get out of here!"

She pushed open the door and took his hand so he could help her up, but she stood too fast and her head spun.

When she put a hand to her temple, Mick said, "I'm going to carry you—no arguments," and picked her up.

She relaxed against his left arm and let her legs dangle over his right. "Well, all right—but just to warn you, I could get used to this."

"I promise you won't have to," he said quietly as he struggled briefly with the doorknob and opened the door.

When they stepped out onto the porch, Beth cried "Mick!" and started to run forward, but stopped short when she saw Leni in his arms.

"Beth?" He caught her eye, then Josef's. "I'm okay, but we need to go to the hospital and get her and the baby checked out."

Josef moved quickly ahead of his friend to open the rear door of the car. When Mick had settled Leni in the back seat, he turned and raked a hand through his hair and began to pace the length of the car back and forth.

"I should have known better," he said to Josef, who only raised an eyebrow. "I shouldn't have let her—shouldn't have let myself—"

"What's wrong with her?" Beth said in a small voice.

"I think she's a little…anemic." Against his instincts, his eyes went to Beth, but it was Josh who reacted, walking right up to him and shoving him.

"What the hell did you do to her?" He shoved him again. "How could you? You were supposed to be protecting her! Beth said you'd never hurt an innocent." He shoved him again. "What kind of monster would force a pregnant woman he was supposed to protect to feed him?"

Mick growled gutturally and flew at Josh, propelling him up against the car with a hand to the throat.

"_Is this it_?" He snarled into Josh's face with his fangs fully descended. "_Is this the monster you were expecting_?"

Mick heard Josef say something, but it was Beth and Leni's screams that broke into his consciousness, and he became aware of the terrified man squirming beneath him. Instantly he relaxed his grip and fell against the car beside Josh, sinking slowly to the ground with his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Josh. Beth…Leni. I lost control." He sucked in a ragged breath. "Just leave me here. Leave me alone."

Leni's eyes flashed. "You're talking nonsense again, Mick." She turned her glare on Josh. "Giving Mick _my_ blood was _my _idea. He'd been out in the sun way too long—he was dying. And he _still_ didn't want to do it. I practically had to shove my arm down his throat, and he's been beating himself up over it all afternoon.

"He saved my life, and I returned the favour—who the hell are _you_ to be coming out here and yelling at Mick for things you don't understand when _you're_ the one with the leak in your office endangering all our lives in the first place?"

Josh stared at the ground. "You're right—you're right. I'm sorry." He raised his eyes and then looked over at Mick. "I'm sorry, Mick."

Mick waved him off. "It's been a rough day for everyone. Let's just forget about it and go home." He picked himself up off the ground and found Beth in front of him, staring at his shoes.

"You must be wondering—" she broke off and began again. "I thought you were dead. I couldn't bear the weight of your secret alone. I hope you can forgive me."

Mick said nothing, and Josh stepped forward. "And I have to apologize again. For putting you in danger…for accusing you without knowing the whole story." He sighed. "I can't possibly imagine what you struggle with, but I won't add to it by getting on your case about vampire stuff that I don't know anything about. I hope you'll be willing to talk to me about it in detail sometime—so I can try and understand."

Mick looked him up and down. He nodded. "Okay. We can do that. But first things first—we _need_ to get out of here."

"Mick," Beth said as he passed her.

He stopped, but did not look at her.

"Mick?"

He exhaled. "We'll talk—later."

She said nothing, and he finally turned his gaze to her. Her eyes were large, and he sighed. When his hand twitched up, she ran and threw her arms around him.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she said into his chest.

"Thank you." He slowly put one arm up around her back as his eyes locked with Josh's.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **Thank you to anonymous Anne for reviewing. No, I don't have any plans to make this a Mick and Leni story. :) Here's the next chapter.**  
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**Disclaimer: **All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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**Fever****Redux**(or,**No-Star****Cell****Service**)** — ****Chapter 8**

Mick suddenly let go of Beth and stared at the road and Josef did the same.

"What is it?" Beth searched Mick's face.

"Car. Get inside—now. Take Leni. Go. _Run_."

"Ugh…you can't keep doing this to a pregnant woman!" Leni groaned and left the car door swinging. Beth took her arm and led her, ducking low, back to the motel room.

Josh remained still in his position near the car.

"Josh!" Beth yelled at him from the door.

"Go!" Mick hissed at him.

With a grunt, Josh finally turned and made for the room, shutting and locking the door behind him. But instead of hunkering down behind the bed with Beth and Leni, he pushed open the window a bit and peeked out from a crack in the blind. Mick and Josef each were pulling back into the darkest shadows on either side of the yard.

Beth crawled across the floor and tugged at his pant leg. "Josh, get down!"

He shook his head. e He "I need to see this."

A black SUV with its headlights off pulled into the drive and slowed to a stop behind Beth's car. A man got out and carefully closed the door so it made as little sound as possible. He pulled a gun out of his waistband and started to walk toward the motel.

Mick stepped out from the shadows. "Hey. Where's your uniform?"

The assassin raised his gun and fired three times. Mick's body shuddered with each impact, but he remained standing, grinning. Josef came out from behind the car, and the man emptied the rest of his clip into him.

"What the hell?" said the assassin when Josef barely flinched. He reached into his pocket for another clip and reloaded the gun, pointing it at Mick, and then Josef. "Stay back."

Josef raised an eyebrow. "You may be doing the shooting, but in case you haven't figured it out yet, you're not the one calling the shots, buddy."

Shaking in anger, the assassin shot Josef through the forehead. Josef grinned, fell to his knees, and collapsed backward onto the ground.

Josh flinched. "Josef…"

"What?" Beth whispered. "What's happening?"

"The assassin—he shot Josef through the head."

"Oh my gosh," Leni breathed.

Beth swallowed. "Is he still…alive?"

Josh shook his head. "I don't know—he's not moving. But Mick doesn't seem too concerned."

Mick was laughing.

The assassin trained his gun on him. "Your friend is dead," he said.

"He sure is," Mick grinned. "And so am I."

"You got that right," the assassin growled.

Behind him, Josef's eyes snapped open, and he slowly began to pick himself up off the ground. Hearing a rustling on the ground behind him, the assassin whirled around.

"That bullet's going to be a bitch to remove," Josef growled as he staggered to his feet. "Thanks a lot."

The assassin froze. "This isn't happening."

Josef laughed. "Isn't it?"

The assassin blinked, and Josef and Mick were suddenly six feet away from him. He blinked again, and they were at his sides. He trembled. "What are you?"

The sound carried well at night in the desert, and Josh was able to hear every word through the open window. "Vampires," he whispered.

"What's your name?" Josef said.

The assassin only shook his head.

Mick turned to Josef and said, "You want to break his arms, or should I?"

Josef bared his teeth. "We could take one each—I'm in a sharing mood today."

Mick nodded, and they each took hold of an arm.

"Kempner," the assassin panted. "Victor Kempner."

Mick grinned. "That's better. I love cooperation. Don't you, Josef?"

"I dunno," Josef shrugged. "I'd still rather break his arms."

"They're kind of sweaty at the moment. Hard to get a proper grip."

"True. Whatever shall we do with him, then?"

Josh left the window, strode over to the door and, fiddling with the lock a moment, flung it open.

"Josh!" Beth cried.

He stepped out onto the porch.

Mick held up a hand. "Josh, you should stay inside."

"You guys look like you have him under control." He walked straight up to Kempner and kicked him hard in the stomach. "That was for Officer Nagawa!" Kempner doubled over and fell to his knees. Josh kicked him again, harder. "And that was for Officer Colden!"

"Nice," Josef smirked.

"Not nice enough for what he did. What do you have in mind for him next?" Josh looked at Josef, then Mick.

Josef raised an eyebrow. "I think Micky-boy needs dinner," he said, nodding toward his friend.

Mick tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Can you make sure Beth and Leni stay inside? They shouldn't see this."

"Leni already has." Mick's eyes flashed, and Josh held up a hand. "That wasn't a dig at you."

"Yeah, well, this will be a lot more violent. Please…go inside," Mick said to him, even as he met Beth's eyes. She had trailed Josh onto the porch, and was leaning up against the doorframe. "Beth, help Leni."

Beth pushed off the doorframe without a word and disappeared back inside.

Josef took Josh by the elbow. "Don't worry, Mick, we'll leave you two alone. Bye." He waved at the assassin.

"Are you going to be okay?" Josh asked Josef as they marched back to the motel room. "There's a bullet in your head—isn't there?" He frowned at the unmarred skin above Josef's eyebrows.

"Yeah," the vampire smirked. "It'll come out, but it'll be messy. Until then, keep an eye on me. If I start baying at the moon or spouting gibberish, get me to Guillermo at the county morgue ASAP."

"Guillermo's a vampire?" Josh gasped.

"And a major blood supplier. Shocking, is it? I can think of few better jobs for a vamp, even if the blood isn't fresh."

Josh stopped short in his tracks and stared at him. His nose wrinkled involuntarily.

"Yeah, I feel the same way," Josef said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's go."

They found Beth and Leni sitting on the bed. Leni was clutching Beth's arm.

"All clear?" Beth asked.

Josef nodded. "Mick's just going to have some…dinner."

"Good. But on an unrelated note, I think I'm going to throw up," Leni said, and stumbled toward the bathroom.

"I'll take care of her," Beth said, following.

Josh took up his position at the window again in time to see Mick dragging a struggling and screaming Kempner behind the car. A moment later, the screams stopped, and Josh shuddered. He turned away from the window and found Josef sitting on the bed, watching him.

"Any questions?" A little smile played upon Josef's lips.

Josh shook his head. "I think it's pretty clear what just happened."

The bathroom door opened, and Beth and Leni came out.

"Is Mick all right?" Leni said shakily.

"He will be." Josef cocked his head. "So…you're the girl almost got Mick killed."

"The name is Leni," she snapped. "So…you're Josef."

He smirked. "Talking about me, was he?"

"A little." She crossed her arms. "I'm surprised you're out here, helping us. I didn't get the impression from him that you would care much about my situation."

"I'm here for Mick. Vampire solidarity, rah rah rah." Josef pumped his fist in the air.

She glared at him.

"How are you, Leni?" Josh interjected quickly.

She looked at him. "As I've been telling everyone, I'm fine. I just want some real food, and a real bed to sleep in. Can we go home now?" As soon as she said it, she sucked in a breath. "Can I even go home?"

Josh bit his lip. "I'm sorry, but you have to stay in our custody until we know it's safe. Fayed may have other assassins."

"Well, I'm only staying in your custody if Mick is there," she announced. "I don't trust anyone else." She shot a dirty look at Josef, to his amusement.

"Of course, if Mick agrees."

They heard a tread on the porch and Mick opened the door.

"Everything okay?" Josh asked.

Mick nodded. "Yeah. We're good. Kempner is dead. I called someone to take the body away. She's on her way."

A red splotch on Mick's face caught Josh's eye. "Uh, Mick, you've got a little something right…there," he motioned to the area next to his mouth.

Mick mirrored the gesture and swiped at his cheek. "Did I get it?"

"Um, yeah."

"Thanks."

"Mick," Leni said, moving slowly toward him. "Are you all right?"

He smiled down at her. "I'm fine. Come here."

She walked straight into his embrace. "Can we go now, Mick?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shirt.

Mick caught Josef's eye, then Josh's. They both nodded. "Yeah…we can go."

"Good," she said, her face still buried in the crook of Mick's shoulder.

They stood there for a moment, neither moving.

"Leni's blood is in his veins," Josef said to no one in particular. "They share a connection."

Josh nodded and his eyes fell on Beth. She was watching Mick and Leni with an unreadable expression—after a moment, she turned away. He stretched out his arm to her, but she walked past him and sat down on the bed.

He sat next to her, but she did not seem to notice. Josh followed her line of sight. Immediately he knew what had caught Beth's eye—the two puncture wounds on Leni's forearm, which had clotted and were already beginning to heal.


End file.
